NCARB

In the season finale, Andy looks ahead to what it will take to implement Pathways to Practice and what candidates can expect in the years to come. Andy speaks with Mike Kolejka , Chair of NCARB’s Policy Advisory Committee and an Arizona board member, about the policy and regulatory steps needed to adopt new licensure pathways. The conversation explores member board approval, jurisdictional differe...

With the Competency Standard in place, what could the future licensure model actually look like? This episode explores how NCARB is moving from big ideas to practical implementation. Andy speaks with Julie Hildebrand , former Chair of NCARB’s Licensure Process Research and Development Task Force, about the early research behind Pathways to Practice. Julie shares how the task force explored licensu...

Pathways to Practice is built on years of research, analysis, and volunteer collaboration. This episode unpacks the foundation behind NCARB’s future licensure model: the Competency Standard. Andy speaks with Jared Zurn about NCARB’s Analysis of Practice, a large-scale study designed to understand how architecture is practiced today and how it is changing. The conversation explains why NCARB moved...

The Architect Registration Examination is one of the most visible parts of the licensure process—but like practice itself, the exam continues to evolve. This episode explores how NCARB updates the ARE and what those changes mean for candidates. Andy speaks with Jared Zurn , NCARB’s Chief Programs Officer, about the evolution of the exam, recent accessibility improvements, and why the future of lic...

Experience is essential to becoming an architect—but access to meaningful experience is not always equal. This episode looks at how candidates earn experience today and how firm culture can shape the path to licensure. Andy speaks with Gabriella Bermea , Chair of NCARB’s Experience Committee, about the Architectural Experience Program, recent AXP updates, and how the program is being aligned with...

Education has long been one of the pillars of architectural licensure—but what does a degree actually demonstrate? This episode examines how education fits into licensure today and why it is central to conversations about access, equity, and competency. Andy speaks with Jeremy Fretts , NCARB’s Assistant Vice President for Education and Certification, about NAAB-accredited degrees, jurisdictional r...

If the current licensure system works for many people, why change it? This episode explores the barriers, disparities, and broader pressures that led NCARB to launch Pathways to Practice. Andy speaks with Bryan C. Lee Jr. , President of the National Organization of Minority Architects, about access, representation, and how systemic barriers shape who enters—and remains in—the profession. Drawing o...

Before we can understand where licensure is going, we need to understand how it got here. In this opening episode, Andy introduces NCARB’s Pathways to Practice initiative and explores the history of architectural licensure in the United States. Andy first speaks with Ed Marley , NCARB’s FY26 President, about why NCARB is reimagining licensure and what a more flexible, competency-based future could...

Get an inside look at licensure, regulation, and the initiatives shaping the future of architectural practice. The NCARB Podcast, hosted by Andy McIntyre, Vice President at NCARB, brings together architects, educators, regulators, researchers, and industry leaders to unpack the systems behind licensure—and how those systems are evolving to better serve candidates, the profession, and the public. S...